shotgunshane’s IEM (custom and universal) recommendations, favorites and classics

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by shotgunshane, Jun 7, 2016.

  1. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Rearranged the list on the first post with the following categories:
    • Current Recommendations and Favorites - The most recent stuff or older stuff you can still get is here.
    • True Wireless (TWS)
    • Legends and Classics - All the great things we can't get no more. Maybe you can find someone willing to part with them.
    • Retirees - Time has moved on. Gone but not forgotten.
    • In Retrospect - Why didn't I add these to the list somewhere? Oh well they're here now.
    Added some color to make the categories visually stand out but I'm using the lighter theme, so let me know if they don't work on the darker theme.

    Hopefully will be adding a Moondrop (or 2?) to the current recommendations category as soon as time avails.

    Feel free to reach out, if you have something you'd like to send in for review or possible list addition.
     
  2. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    TWS.JPG
    This is readable, but a bit unpleasant in Tin.
    Legends.JPG
    This is barely readable and causes moderate discomfort in Tin.


    Edit: not sure why my screencaps got enlarged and blurred, but you get the idea.
     
  3. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Yikes. Fixed.
     
  4. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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  5. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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  6. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    @shotgunshane The ER2SE loaner was surprisingly enjoyable. Turns out, I really like a DF tuned iem. Not perfect, but it was a little bit of a homecoming (which of course, could get old over time...)

    But in your opinion, do you think there is any sense of having both the ER2SE and the ER4SR? I'm reading that the timber may be better on the 2 and details better on the 4? Both are on sale now at Adorama ($69, $169 respectively) so both could be had, but I'm kind of wondering if the ER2SE makes the ER4SE... obsolete? Or are they just slightly different flavors of the same thing? Both worth having? I don't think you had them at the same time, but I'm trying to pick one or both.

    (Another question: Is the Blessing 2 the best implementation of DF you've heard? Or is there a rational step up from the Ety for DF?)
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2020
  7. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    I didn’t have them at the same time but yeah, 2se will have better timbre and the 4se better resolution. 4se will be a little more engaging to, due to better treble response over all.

    I imagine a lot of Ety fans have both. Makes sense to me- sometimes in the mood for the natural sounding dynamic and other times craving more resolution.

    A thought: a 2se and jowls legacy ER4S. He has the red filters already loaded. It’s been a long time since I heard the old 4S but when I owned it, I ran the red filters and used comply P or Westone foams and thought it some of the best treble and overall clarity I had heard. He’s got a pretty great price in our classifieds. I’d choose the legacy 4S over the newer models all day. One caveat- the old one is tougher to drive. Can still get loud on a smartphone but it does like power, whereas the new models are much more efficient.

    Moondrop uses its own target, which is more similar Harman than Diffuse Field in my estimation, so its a slightly different experience. The Blessing 2 bass would be much better than the Ety’s but the treble isn’t as good as the new or old 4 series. If you’re really digging the Ety tuning, there’s really no substitute. Believe me, I looked unsuccessfully for many years.
     
  8. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    Thank you so much for your thoughts, as always!

    I'd already been watching jowls ER4S...as the price keeps dropping! I wasn't sure about the red filters, but it's good to know you recommend them. I had never gotten into switching filters, but I always liked Westone tips on Etymotics. I know other people need other tips to get a deep insertion, but they work great for my big ears. I've been running iems from Modi 3/Magni 3+ so I have plenty of power. (Speaking of, the ER2RS likes the power.)

    Also appreciate your take on the Moondrop Blessing 2. I was getting the impression it was Diffuse Field with more bass... I don't think I've heard a Harman I've liked, at least not after the initial impression.
     
  9. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Harman target is a moving preference target. I believe they tweak it every year. I’m not sure which year Moondrop took but my understanding is they modified a Harman target to create their own and named it VDSF. I’ve heard 4 models now (Kanas Pro, Crescent, Starfield and Blessing 2). They’ve definitely hit on something, as I liked 3 of the 4. Their SSR is a budget model and was their so called attempt at a diffuse field tuning. It doesn’t match how Ety’s measure but the Ety target is a modified Diffuse Field target if I recall correctly.
     
  10. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    Not going to buy new IEMs this year or probably anytime soon via covid but would like to know for general reference / knowledge. I can't use most universal IEMs I've tried in the past due to fit issues but I would like to revisit this eventually.

    I have narrow and long ear canals, both are in general oddly shaped. To give a better idea, usually when I get ear impressions or custom ear plugs made it takes them more than 1 try on at least 1, if not both ears. Most IEMs are too large to even fit into my canals enough to form any kind of seal or if they do, they get extremely uncomfortable within 10-15 min. For reference, the CA Andromeda couldn't even reach into my ear canal, I had to push and hold the things to get the tips somewhat in. The second I let go and barely moved, they fell out of my ears. The only 2 comply tips I can use are the smalls cylindrical ones or the longer P-tips (narrower ones) and I would prefer to not use comply tips again.

    The only universals I can think of off the top of my head that fit and stayed in comfortably was the CA Comet with a smaller soft silicone tip.

    Based on pictures and sound notes on the first page, it looks like the Nair and Blessing 2 may be an OK place to start?

    -----------------------------------------
    General sound notes if it matters:
    Favorite IEM to this day is the UERM (custom fit) for critical listening. Don't know if I have a favorite for casual or "enjoy music". If anyone else giving advice was also a beta tester for the UERM, I preferred the betas over the final product for critical listening as I felt it had better separation, staging, imaging, clarity, resolution, and other technicalities. Based on old notes, it almost seemed like they smoothed everything over with the final product to because the original beta was too critical. It was almost brutally honest/revealing, much like the SR1a, but without that "sound" that SR1a has that is polarizing to some.

    While BA tonality isn't ideal, it's not unbearable for me like it is for some others. Would probably prefer hybrid, not totally sure.

    Not any one specific sound I'm looking for. Slight preference in general for a neutral sound with a pinch of extra bass and treble (basically the very slightest U) but in general am OK with most cohesive sound signatures/executions as long as no one section is too extreme in either direction.
     
  11. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    Frankly, if I were you I would just stick to custom fit and call it a day. Almost all UIEMs are dependent on tips and if you also have to restrict yourself to using the smallest tips (no spinfits or comply wrap or triple flanges) the chance of finding a good overall experience isn't too great.

    The UERM is something that I am pretty familiar with, I had the UE10 which is pretty much the same IEM but a little colder and with more coherence issues. Hybrids are almost all going to have worse coherence though if your starting point is a simple single high dual low design.

    Cost no object, I'd recommend something along the lines of the Fitear 335DWSR (and specifically the "studio reference" version) which is my personal gold standard for a remastering IEM. Only 5BA but coherence is brilliant and they use a solid pour to add a real kick to the sub bass which I've never found from another brand. They come in universal form too but then you miss out on the sub bass. But I get that people don't want to deal with ordering internationally especially with the risk of a refit and the uncertain global shipping situation. That said, Fitear's build quality is incredible, and they'll easily last a decade or more.

    Domestically...there's not much. I had the FMJ Layla's for years and I think that at CIEM prices they're way overpriced. The A18t is, well, fine but pricy and there's some small weirdness with the separation. One possible option is the JH13v2 which I've also (briefly) owned as custom fit and should tick the sound box - keeping in mind that the original JH13 was intended to fight the UE10 with the JH16/UE11 being the bass heavy counterparts. But JH's fit and finish is horrific and you should expect at least one refit.

    The Blessing 2 is fine, although I find it a little hard to get excited because, as with all hybrids in this price range, you know immediately where the BA ends and the DD starts. If you can find a pair in universal fit, the A8 is better but also larger. Moondrop has a lot of decent products but when you hit $300 with a penta driver design some corners have to be cut. So you get the cheaper DDs and Chinese drivers instead of Knowles and less rigorous matching.

    *Not that this relates to the question, but I know the guy who runs Moondrop (Shuiyue) from way back in 2011-12 ish when I dabbled in build CIEMs myself. And yes, he's always been a bit of a fanatic about the Harman curve and highly targeted tuning. I don't know when they started using VDSF but I still don't quite understand what it does beyond Harman. Personally if I have 5 pairs of IEMs I want all except maybe one to be one-trick ponies.
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2020
  12. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    @fp627 It’s hard to say what will fit in universals, given the difficulty you’ve described. While I definitely think the Nair and Blessing 2 sound profile would fit your preferences, I’m not sure the fit will accommodate.

    While I have no issue with the Blessing 2, there have been several complaints on Discord groups about fit issues, particularly those with smaller ears and smaller canals. What really would concern me in your circumstance is the very large nozzles of the Blessing 2.

    The Nair you may have a better shot at. While not exactly small housings, they are very ergonomic. Then again they are based on an average of ears you could end up being an outlier.

    Sounds like barrel style uni’s are going to be your best bet in general. In any case, I feel like a thinner but potentially longer nozzle will help your use case. I wonder if Campfire Ara would fit you due to the much longer nozzle? Housing still might not be optimal though. I wonder if the new small Dunu shells would fit you? I really like the shape and fit of their TOTL Luna but signature is not something I can quite recommend.

    Which leads back around to customs. While I much prefer the ease of universals, it seems customs is probably going to be the best route for you? As mentioned above, the JHA JH13 could be a possible sonic match, although it may be a little too U shaped. I enjoyed the Freqphase version of the JH13. While a fun tuning, it was still in the neutralish ballpark. However the sizzle of the treble wore on me after a while. While I had no issues with fit and finish (got right first try), I have read nightmares about JHA customer service and quality of product.

    The old and retired Empire Ears Spartan would have been one I could recommend in custom form for your sound profile. However, it was replaced with the ESR and EVR (if I’m not mistaken), which got some solid reviews but not so much in it’s most recent iteration. I haven’t heard anything from EE in a very long time, so I have really no first hand idea about their latest lineups.

    Hopefully members with any newer, still available custom IEMs can chime in.
     
  13. FlySweep

    FlySweep Friend

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    Spartan would be my rec.. my IEM preferences are very much the same as fp627.. and the Spartan remains among my top 3-5 favorite (custom) IEMs (along with the UERM). I've heard the ESR and EVR and feel they're a step down from the Spartan (ExR are slightly more resolving, but freq tuning and coherence isn't as good as classic Spartan).
     
  14. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    Should have clarified - I want to stay under $500 if possible on a universal. For customs, I don't mind going higher, but it's going to be quite a while before I get another - probably won't be until something I have dies or no longer fits, and I'm sure the market is going to be drastically different then. However, based on what you guys are saying, it sounds like I'm still relegated to CIEM-land.

    @shotgunshane - Sadly I tried every single Campfire IEM at Canjam last year (2019) and not a single one aside from the Comet fit my ears well/properly. Even the ones that sort of fit had poor fit to the point that the sound was horrible and/or I wanted to take them out in <1 min due to discomfort.

    In terms of sound - I did try the Unique Melody Merlin (or whatever the Singapore exclusive model is) back in 2018 and thought it sounded good. Definitely not reference, but I enjoyed it in the moderately loud environment I tried it in. There was 1 Empire Ears I liked a lot but I don't remember the model (wasn't the Spartan as that's easy to remember), the other I tried (which was $2k+ SGD) sounded mediocre to me - not something I'd pay over $300 for, much less $2k+. Also tried one from 64 audio, maybe the U12?? - was pretty enjoyable. All of these had comply tips. There were several others from other brands I tried in Singapore and HK (probably the 2 best cities in the world to try this stuff), but these are the ones that stick out in my memory. I did not get to try the Spartan yet and will have to check out the FitEars (although it looks like the 335 is discont.).

    I tried all of the UE models except for the UE Live and 7 and my favorites are probably the UERM (discont) and UE18 (whatever revision they were on in summer 2018 was enjoyable for casual/normal listening). UE11 was good but too bassy and slightly unbalanced / disjointed for my personal preferences. UE6 was more disjointed. UE10 wasn't worth the price IMO. UE5 isn't good in a quiet environment but somehow the sound signature works well in noisy environments and I use it as my "travel/to go" option. I have the UERR but don't like the sound that much - I only got it as I didn't know that there were 3rd party reshelling services at the time and UE offered me a great deal as my early production RM "melted" on it's own (early production models didn't use standard acrylic).
     
  15. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    The original 335 is discontinued but the two upgraded versions, the 335DW and 335DW Studio Reference, are both still in production. The Studio Reference is specifically tuned with sound engineers who want to also check their work on IEMs in mind. You'll find demos in Hong Kong but the universals will have about 2db less bass and almost no sub bass compared to the customs.

    The A12t is another option and will be easier to manage if you need a refit. I'd vote against JH and UE simply because both companies are exceedingly bad at getting their CIEMs to fit right. Between me and a few other people I know I think we're average 2 refits a person with JH. The word is that they revamped their mold profiling in 2019 though, so maybe that's been fixed. Either way, I'd stick to 64 or the Japanese/Chinese. Inear does also have some nice monitoring-sounding IEMs. You might want to check out the PP8S and the PP10.
     
  16. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

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  17. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    ^ thanks but not looking to buy now. That and I already have a pair of UERM that still works perfectly fine.

    @Zhanming057 - my UE actually fit perfectly for me. If you can make it to their HQ (I'm relatively local and did this) or an event such as canjam (I saw it being done) where they have the laser scanner available you will get a great fit.
     
  18. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    My UERM is the best fitting custom I’ve ever had. They needed to make one adjustment and did it perfectly. They then made the UERR from those corrections and for a while I had other customs made directly from the UERR until I sold it.

    A lot of custom fit comes down to the technician making the housing, regardless of manufacturer. Some are better than others,. It can certainly be a hassle if it doesn’t go well.

    @fp627 For under $500 for a uni, Moondrop in general should be on the list to try then. They seem to be getting better with tunings in each iteration/model. Definitely a manufacturer to watch.
     
  19. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    Being local and having access to the scanner on site probably makes all the difference. I thought they were fine back around 2010 or so, but more recently the people I've talked to have nothing but horror stories, including one of their Hong Kong retailers. Lots of unhappy customers.

    The same guy running Moondrop recently came out with a higher end subbrand called Softears (think Lexus) https://shenzhenaudio.com/collections/softears . I haven't yet tried any of their IEMs myself but I have heard good things. Might be worth checking out if you can make it to Hong Kong or SG. They did mention earlier in the year that they could give me a loaner pair of RS10s, and maybe I'll see if that's still on the table.
     
  20. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    Anyone here tried the Noble Falcon TWS? Seems to a pair for sale here, so was wondering if it is worth picking up.
     

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